GCIS Commumcanon Centre: BEELD: February 14, 2017: pg 5

MOTORLISENSIES

��

Boetes van een naam gehaal, op ander gesit Seugnet van Zyl

’n Groot bedrogsindikaat is blykbaar in motor1isensiekanto- re in Gauteng bedrywig Wat mu- nisipaliteite miljoene aan boete- en 1isensiege1d 1aat verloor.

So11y Msimanga, burgemees- ter van die Tshwane-metro, het gister gese die metro het aan- vanklik gedink dat net ’n paar lisensiebeamptes in Tshwane by die skema betrokke is, maar daar is blykbaar meer as 100 korrupte beamptes in sy 1isen- siekantore.

Tugverhore Word reeds vir 12 van hu11e gehou. Msimanga se die geta1 kan

aansienlik toeneem namate daar dieper gedelf Word in die be- drogspul. Die korrupte beamptes is ge-

reed om te help Wanneer ’n eie- naar nie sy voertuiglisensie kan hernieu nie omdat hy nie sy boetes betaal het nie. Die boampto rogistroor dio

voertuig dan in iemand anders se naam Wat dan die “nuWe eie- naar” Word. Die registrasiedatum Word

teruggedateer sodat dit lyk of hy die boetes gekry het of nie vori- ge 1isensiege1d betaal het nie. Dan Word die voertuig weer

in die Ware eienaar se naam ge- registreer. Die boetes Word dan die kortstondige “eienaar” se probleem. Samkelo Mgobozi, Msimanga

se Woordvoerder, se die metro Werk nog aan ’n plan om die slagoffers se naam in ere te her- ste1.

“Ons het nog nie so ver ge- kom nie omdat ons steeds pro- beer om a1 die verskillende sce- nario’s Wat die sindikaat ge- bruik om die inligting te ver- doesel, te bepaal en dit dan ook te keer.” Msimanga kon nie bevestig

hoovool gold dio motro Woons bedrieglike transaksies verloor het nie.

Hy se Weens die tegniese aard van die bedrog sa1 hy ’n toege- Wyde aanklaer en voorsittende beampte aanstel om na die sake te kyk.

“Lisensiebedrog en -korrupsie is baie, baie tegnies omdat die meeste daarvan op die eNatis- ste1se1 p1aasvind.” Die metro het in samewerking

met die Gautengse departement van paaie en vervoer op die sin- dikaat afgekom.

“Die korrupte beamptes sa1 geskors Word as hu11e skuldig bevind Word sodat ons van hier- die broodnodige inkomste kan kry. Ons sa1 sodoende ook van korrupsie in ons verkeersafde- ling ontslae raak.” Tony Taverna-Turisan, Woord-

voerder in die burgemeesters- kantoor van Herman Mashaba, se in Johannesburg is 106 1isen- siebeamptes van korrupsie aan- gekla.

“15 het reeds in die hof ver- skyn en 72 is a1 geskors hangen- de tugverhore.” Volgens Taverna-Turisan is

972 bedrieglike transaksies van R14,7 miljoen geidentifiseer Wat van J anuarie 2008 tot Februarie verlede jaar strek.

GCIS Communication Centre: BUSINESS DAY: Februaiy 14, 2017: pg 1

tate an onstru tion om anies ma ise ea

I Injrdstructure spending not gudrdnteed, sags Patel I Minister, however, hails model as gr0und~bredl<'ing

Mark Allix Industrial Writer

Economic Deyelopment Minis—

ter Ebrahim Patel the yol—

untaly settlement agreement between the state and seyen major construction groups oyer transforming the industry does not guarantee an increase in

national infrastructure spend.

Hoyyeyer. the agreement might mean Murray & Roberts. Group Fiye. \\"ilson Bayly Holmes—Oycon (\\"BHO). Ste—

fanutti Stocks. Raubex. Basil

Read and Ayeng — which reached an agreement with the goyernment last year after

claims they colluded in the 2010 Soccer \\"orld Cup projects —

might see better days again.

eyen Group Fiye still refuses to acknowledge guilt oyer cer—

tain allegations by the Compe— tition Commission.

"The \ie\y of all the partici—

pants is that this settlement

agreement is a ground—breaking

model for effectiye and massiye transformation." Patel said on Monday. He also said an indus—

try summit would be held \yith—

in the next four months to fur—

ther transform the sector. "The settlement agreement is

R85Obn is roughly the amount the state spends on infrastructure

over each three-year medium- term budget policy period

R1.5bn is expected to be paid into a trust account by the construction

companies For the support of black-owned companies

not a direct quid pro quo that goyernment will increase

infrastructure spend." Patel said.

Instead. it would enable the goyernment and the ]SE—listed

companies to co—ordinate

efforts to improye liyes. All the companies — apart

from Murray & Roberts. which has sold its South African busi—

ness to empowerment entities —

haye agreed in terms of the deal to sell stakes to or mentor and financially support black—o\yned

construction companies. This included paying Rl.5bn

oyer 12 years into a trust goy—

erned by a board appointed

by the state. the construction

companies and the South African Forum of Ciyil Engin—

eering Contractors.

Patel said the main outstand—

ing potential litigation between state enterprises including the

South African National Roads Agency (Sanral). and these com— panies had been Well defined and "largely coyered" .

Critically. though. Transport Minister Dipuo Peters said on Monday that Sanral would not pursue a multimillion—rand

claim against companies

Continued on Page 2

GCIS Communication Centre: BUSINESS DAY: Februaw 14, 2017: pg 2

FROM PAGE 1

Construction deal ‘gr0und~breal<ing’ inyolyed in the settlement

agreement. "It is proper for San~ ral to discontinue [these] claims

and be part of this milestone [agreement]. This is for us ‘the

transformation’ [deal] and we are excited to be part of this."

Peters joined Patel. Public

\\"orks Minister Thulas Nxesi and Rural Deyelopment and Land Reform Minister Gugile

Nkwinti in Pretoria to detail the "ground—breal§ing instrument for transformation" .

State spending on infrastruc—

ture amounts to about R850bn oyer each three—year medium— term budget policy period

including all costs. The yalue of annual infrastructure build in SA by the public and priyate sectors generally exceeds R/1()0bn. of

which about 60% is goyernment spending I—Inweyer there has

been a lull in big infrastructure projects since the end of the 2010 \\"orld Cup.

Nkwinti said the construc—

tion sector was the first industry to achieye such a deal. "Business in their wisdom — which goy—

ernment appreciated — wanted to contribute yoluntarily to

transformation in the industry."

This was oyer and aboye the Rl./16bn Competition Commis— sion fine that had earlier been leyied on l5 construction com~ panies for collusiye practices.

In terms of the deal. Murray & Roberts has decided to exit infrastructure and building mar—

kets in SA. selling the business to

a consortium led by the South—

ern Palace Group for R31/lm. .\yeng. S.\’s largest construc—

tion and engineering group by turnnyer had agreed tn sell a

51% stake in African subsidiary .\yeng Grinal§er—LT.\ to Kutana Construction. a black women— owned group. \\"BHO would mentor three emerging contra<> tors. enabling them to acquire skills and the yolume of work needed to generate a combined annual turnoyer of at least 25% of \\"BHO’s yearly South African ciyil engineering and building reyenue within seyen

Representatiyes from some of the companies were also at the briefing in Pretoria.

IT IS PROPER FOR SANRAL TO DISCONTINUE THESE CLAIMS AND BE PART OF THIS MILESTONE AGREEMENT

\\"BHO chairman Mike \\"ylie acknowledged there had been tension in the three years of

negotiations that led to the

agreement. But essentially. what was also known the \'olun—

tary Rebuilding Programme was exactly that. far the indus—

try was concerned. he said. Sanral allegedly oyerpaid by

at least ll6" <» for the Gauteng Freeway lmproyement Project. a report commissioned by the Organisation for Undoing Tax .\buse (Outa) said earlier in

February. This means ciyil liti—

gation might well continue. Outa had rejected the settle—

ment agreement between the

goyernment and construction

firms and said it wanted a com— mission of inquiry into collusion in the sector established.

aIIixm@hdFm an 7;:

LEGAL OPINION FOR BOARD

GCIS Communication Centre: BUSINESS DAY: Februaiy 14, 2017: pg 2

Lawyers outline charges for top Acsa officials Xolisa Phillip

News Editor

A legal opinion prepared by law firm Norton Rose Fulbright

spells out the damning allega—

tions against Airports Company SA (.\csa) CEO Bongani Maseko. and the charges that should be brought against him and other officials suspended in 2016.

The .\csa board roped in

Norton Rose Fulbright to pro—

\ide it with guidance on What to do with the rot uncoyered by Dr \'S Mncube Consulting during a forensic inyestigation and a legal opinion prepared by .\dy Fezile Reeyes Memani on the para—

statal’s supply chain manage— ment lapses.

The Norton Rose Fulbright

legal opinion. which Business Day has seen. was submitted on February 2. when the

.\csa board conyened an emer—

gency teleconference. In the legal opinion. Norton

Rose Fulbright formulated the nature of the charges that should be brought against Maseko. pro—

curement manager Percy Sii

thole. GM for regional airports Jabulani Khambule and legal

counsel Bongani Machobane. Norton Rose Fulbright

recommended that the suspen—

sions of Sithole. Khambule and Machobane be extended. The $011101‘ 111ii11iigC1‘S7 SL1S])C1TS1U11S

took effect from Noyember 1

2016 to February 3. The law firm recommended

that Maseko be suspended.

saying his continued presence at Work might deter Witnesses from coming fonyard.

Norton Rose Fulbright also

recommended in the legal

opinion that presuspension scripts be prepared for all the

officials including Maseko. The law firm suggested that the offi—

cials concerned be issued with notices of disciplinary inquiries

and letters of suspension. The charge sheet prepared

against Maseko includes allega—

tions that he "contrayened section /15(c) of the [Public

Finance Management Act] by failing to take effectiye and appropriate steps to preyent unauthorised. irregular. fruitless

and wasteful expenditure" .

.\csa said on Sunday it was unaware of any board meeting at which the CEO’s suspension was discussed. nor had he receiyed notice of suspension.

In a document prepared for the teleconference. an .\csa

board ad hoc committee asked for an extension of Dr \'S

Mncube Consulting’s contract

from January 30 to May 31. The scope of the firm’s Work

would include eyaluating e\i—

dence and preparing Witnesses. phil|ipx@business|ive.co.za

GCIS Communication Centre: BUSINESS DAY: Februaql 14, 2017: pg 3

Roads agency changes tack on toll talks Karl Gernetzky Transport Writer

The South African National

Roads Agency (Sanral) was dealt a blow on Friday. when the Con—

stitutional Court scuppered its

plans to use tolls in the \\"estern Cape highlands.

The court’s decision means Sanral will need to embark on what may be seyeral years of consultations if it still wants to introduce tolling in the pro\ince.

The agency is struggling to win oyer Gauteng motorists who already owe billions in unpaid e—

toll bills.

The City of Cape Town said it would oppose any introduction of e—tolls despite already begin—

ning to discuss with the agency the best way to tackle infra—

structure needs in the proyince. On Friday. the Constitutional

Court dismissed Sanral’s lea\e to appeal against two decisions by lower courts on the yalidity of the process to introduce tolling.

Cape Town mayoral com~ mittee member for the Trans—

port and Urban Deyelopment Authority Brett Herron said on Monday that the introduction of tolling proposed by Sanral was "inequitable" .

Sanral noted the judgment. saying on Sunday it had already begun a piyot towards a more consultatiye approach regarding road infrastructure.

The roads agency is not only pursuing engagements in the

\\"estern Cape but with other municipalities and pro\inces such eThekwini. Gauteng.

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KwaZulu—Natal and Free State to unlock economic growth poten—

tial and contribute to regional

deyelopment. spokesman Yusi Mona said.

Cape Chamber of Commerce

and Industry president Janine

Myburgh said the judgment followed concerns from pro\in—

cial residents that had been "simply ignored" .

She said: "\\hen a new pub—

lic—participation process begins. Sanral will find that it has to deal with a well—informed public.

thanks to the work done by the city council and organisations [such the Organisation for

Undoing Tax Abuse] 'L\ new public participation

process would also expose Sanral to questions on their

business model and why they continued to charge eyer—

increasing toll fees on projects that haye already been paid for. such the Huguenot Tunnel.

"\\"e now haye benchmark figures for road—construction

costs and we haye seen how tolling facilities simply add to the cost of road building. There is no longer a way for Sanral to ride roughshod oyer public opinion."

Transport economist Andrew Marsay said while San—

ral’s disappointing toll re\ enue would certainly affect its ability to raise capital on the bond markets. the agency would simply put off road projects in order to remain \iable.

"Sanral is a well—run entity.

they can’t raise much money if they were recei\ing the

expected toll reyenue. they will just haye to shuffle priorities."

Cape Town’s opposition to

e—tolls could conflict with its

own priorities in creating a \iable public transport system. gemetz|<y|<@business|ive.co.za

GCIS Communication Centre: BUSINESS DAY: Februaql 14, 2017: pg 3

CLARITY SOUGHT ON PROCESS

Outa fears Sanral will jump the gun Karl Gernetzky

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) it is seeking

clarity from the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) on Whether the agency intends to press ahead with ciyil and criminal judgments against

Gauteng motorists in the first

half of 2017.

This is not withstanding Outa’s continued engagements with Sanral oyer a possible "test case" that could bring clarity

oyer the liability of proyincial

motorists. who owe about R6.2bn to the agency.

Outa said on Monday that it

understood Sanral was prepar—

ing to pursue criminal and ciyil judgments against some of the estimated 2.9—million proyincial

motorists who were not paying their e—tolls.

Outa chairman “ayne Duyenage said the organisation belieyed Sanral was attempting to subyert an ineyitable court process that would indicate that "it is not unlawful not to pay your e—tolls"

.

Outa remained concerned that Sanral would press ahead with summonses before a court had made a decision.

Outa and Sanral haye agreed to co—operate on the limits of a case that could bring clarity on the liability of noncompliant users \ll Outa members Wmild

fall under the umbrella of the test case and While Sanral has held back from seeking judgments. it has prepared 6.286 summonses.

Sanral spokesman \' usi

Mona said on Monday that it was important legal clarity be obtained soon possible.

giyen the conflicting information the public was exposed to

regarding the legality of tolling. "\\"e are inyolyed in a process

with Outa which may result in agreement to the arguments that will form part of a test case.

"The agreement with Outa is that until such time that such agreement is reached. both par—

ties will not discuss the matter in public forums. If a test case is agreed. the parties will make the announcement." Mona said.

Outa has called for e—tolling

in the proyince to be scrapped completely. saying that the

scheme was registering less

than 20% compliance despite

requiring at least 80% compliance. The organisation

maintains that the construction

itself and the decisions to toll the freeways were "unlayyful.

irrational and excessiyely expensiye" .

Duyenage said on Monday that Outa did not oppose the user—pay principle outright. but

the system had failed in cities with far greater transparency and administrative efficiency

GCIS Communication Centre CAPE ARGUS: February 14, 2017 pg 3

Race organisers road safety tips for cyclists and motorists AUTUMN marks the official start of the Cape Town Cycle Tour set to take place on March 12, with hundreds of cyclists putting in the extra hours of training for the 2017 race. The Cape Town Cycle Trust said

this also means an increase in accidents and cycling-related injuries.

With so many j ostling for space on the road, race organisers are urging cyclists and motorists to make safety their nmnber one priority.

Director of the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust David Bellairs said many cycling-related accidents could be prevented if cyclists and motorists were more aware of one another on the road.

(PPA) has thrown its weight behind R out for other vehicles. Increase your its “Stay Wider of the Rider” cam- e B 4 ), visibility by wearing bright, reflective paign, which aims to create max- y / clothing and fitting lights on your ilnuln awareness among all road Q 1 bike. users. Q Q O Obey the rules and be traflic

9 0 The PPA and the Cycle Tour have savvy: Be assertive but not aggressive put together a comprehensive list of when riding. Show common courtesy safety tips, which they encourage all

_

and respect the rights of all other cyclists to follow: "1:

P Q I-' E road users.

O Use hand signals: In the inter- CYCLISTS est of courteousness and safety, tell

bic cle without a helmet. Head in' ur- O Get out of town: Nothin beats

E A R O Head gear: Never get on your %

motorists what you intend to do. y J _ , g

ies are the leading cause of cyclist gull‘ '3‘ 3" 5 the countryside when it comes to safe fatalities so invest in a hard-shell hel- met that fits properly and correctly position it on your head. O Wear some form of ID: When

cycling, ensure that you have some “Tolerance, awareness and mutual form of identification on you and

respect is key during this time. If cyc- emergency contact details for a lists and motorists take the time to be spouse, relative or friend — like the considerate of each other’s needs, the I.C.E ID. roads will be a safer place for all.”

The Pedal Power Association O Ride tmplugged: You need to

know what’s going on around you. So

%‘»iiCYBLE TUUR §.'l°.§§fi'fi

ROTARY - PEDAL POWER A55QClATION

in the interest of your own safety, do not ride with earphones in. Chatting on your cellphone is not a good idea either.

O See and be seen: Motorists are naturally conditioned to keep an eye

riding. Or even better: do some oif road riding where there are no cars at all. O Mind the weather: Avoid riding

in bad weather — especially in foggy conditions. O Safety in numbers: Avoid riding

alone. Group riding will not only teach you valuable bunch-riding skills, but will also ensure that help is at hand in case of an emergency.

MOTORISTS O Obey the rules: Treat cyclists like

you would fellow motorists — always obey traffic laws and signs. O Be aware: Cyclists may have to

swerve to avoid an open car door or road hazard. O Mind the gap: Leave at least a

metre — ideally 1.5m — between your- self and a cyclist when overtaking. O Be patient: When the road is too

narrow to overtake a cyclist safely, wait until the oncoming lane is clear before you pass. O No hooting please: Do not hoot

when approaching a cyclist from behind. This may startle a cyclist and cause them to veer into the road in front of you. O Stay in your lane: When

driving along a winding road, do not move into the yellow line or shoulder of the road to let someone pass — there may be cyclists around the next turn.

GCIS Communication Centre: CAPE TIMES: February 14, 2017: pg 1

Cops carry comatose drunk driver from car TRAFFIC officers literally had to carry a drunk driver to safety after his drinking binge caused him to black out in the mid- dle of an intersection in Table View at the weekend, the City of Cape Town said yesterday

Officers of the City’s ghost squad were conducting an oper-

ation focusing on illegal street racing on Sunday night when they came across a car that had entered the intersection of Blaauwberg Road and Janssens Avenue at around 10pm.

“They found that the driver had passed out behind the wheel, with an empty whisky

bottle and a second, nearly empty bottle on the passenger seat.

“It took three officers to lift the unconscious driver out of the vehicle. The vehicle was obstructing traffic and had to be moved,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety

Security and Social Services JP Smith.

According to the statement, officers arrested eight more drivers for drunk driving and two for reckless and negligent driving after they were caught participating in an illegal street race. ~ African News Agency

GCIS Communication Centre: CAPE TIMES: February 14, 2017: pg 5

CAPE TQWN INTERNATIQNAL IS THE BEST

A has two of Africa’s top airports Mel Frykberg African News Agency

THE Guide to Sleeping in

Airports, a reputable Can- adian travel and hospitality company, has voted two South African international airports among the top five in Africa.

The Guide to Sleeping in Airports survey was conducted last year, but with the results just recently released.

Coming as no surprise to Capetonians, was Cape Town International Airport sweeping the category as the continent’s top airport.

“When reviewing the best airports in Africa, Cape Town International Airport is a long-standing fan favourite.

Travellers are consistently happy with the terminals’ cleanliness and simplicity -

and they’re pleased with the helpful and friendly staff,” stated the travel guide.

“Amenities like four hours of free wi-fi, a few pay-to-use lounges, a small budget-friendly grocery store and a library are other welcome additions, not often seen in terminals across the continent.”

However, not to be outdone Oliver Reginald Tambo Inter- national Airport (OR Tambo) in Joburg was not far behind coming in at fourth. But the reasons for the airport drop- ping place in popularity were also outlined.

“OR Tambo Airport appears to have lost a few points in the hearts of travellers this year. People still praise it for being clean, easy to navigate and full of good shopping and dining options,” said the Canadian website.

“However, as one of Afri- ca’s largest travel hubs, the long immigration queues and maintenance issues seem to be wearing on those who travel through.

“That said, Joburg’s airport does go above and beyond in the amenity department. Here, you can find luggage storage, a supermarket, a dry cleaner, a barber, several pay-per-use lounges, and a ton of restau- rants!”

In their survey the travel guide asked travellers to rate

the African airports based on their overall experience.

The following factors were taken into consideration: Comfort (rest Zonesand gate seating); services, facilities

and things to do; food options; immigration/security; cus- tomer service; and cleanliness.

“The Best Airports in Africa are those that appear to have figured out how to offer trav- ellers an efficient, clean and friendly travel experience.

“Though you won’t find a plethora of extravagant amen- ities here, you can expect these five terminals will offer reason-

ably comfortable chairs, clean floors and easy navigation.

“Coupled with basic servi- ces like internet, restaurants, lounges and a few shopping spots, it becomes easy enough to spend your time at these airports.

Pipping OR Tambo to the post was Kigali International Airport in Rwanda, which came in third.

“Kigali International Air- port’s 2014 facelift continues to serve travellers well, boosting its continental ranking for Best Airports in Africa from last year. Passengers are pleased

with how clean and modern the terminals are, and how helpful staff can be.”

At number five was Algiers International Airport which kept survey respondents satis- fied by being reliably clean, spacious, comfortable and easy to navigate.

Though some feel the facili- ties available could use “fresh- ening”

, there are enough shops, restaurants and lounges to

keep the transit traveller enter- tained. Plus, there’s a great number of sleeper-friendly benches located throughout.

Not to be left out, and def-

initely worth a mention, was the top five worst airports in Africa, according to the travel guide.

“Once again, the Worst Air- ports in Africa have attracted fervent criticism from travel- lers subjected to spend time here.

“Tiny terminals are likened to mosh pit saunas with ques- tionable and often-unpredict- able security processes. Staff are too often criticised for being anything from inefficient to corrupt, depending on where you go, and who you get.

“When using these airports,

you’ll want to double-down on patience since you’ve got a near guarantee that you’ ll leave hot and tired.”

The five Worst Airports in Africa based on overall experi- ence, as determined by voters in our 2016 Airport Survey are:

1. Juba International Air- port, South Sudan

2. Port Harcourt Inter-

national Airport, Nigeria 3. Nouakchott International

Airport, Mauritania 4. Douala International Air-

port, Cameroon 5. N’Djamena International

Airport, Chad (NDJ)

Acsa board members axe By XOLISA PHILLIP

TRANSPORT Minister Dipuo Peters has issued notices of in- tent to dismiss four Airports Company SA (Acsa) board mem- bers in a move seen as an at- tempt to shield chief executive Bongani Maseko from being sus- pended and disciplined for flout- ing the parastatal’s supply chain rules.

The notices were issued late on Friday, with a shareholder meeting scheduled to take place next Monday. The affected board members

are non-executive directors John Lamola, McDonald Kenosi Mo- roka, Chwayita Mabude and Ba- j abulile Luthuli.

Peters is said to have caught the board off-guard as some of the suspended members were due to meet with her to discuss a

board resolution to suspend Maseko with immediate effect

and to start instituting a dis-

ciplinary process against him. That board resolution was still to be ratified, said sources who asked not to be named because they are not authorised to speak to the media. The development follows a se-

ries of meetings at which the crisis-hit Acsa’s board discussed extending the suspensions of se- nior executives who have also been implicated in flouting the parastatal’s supply chain rules. The auditor-general has pre-

viously said that Acsa’s account-

ing authority had not taken ef- fective steps to prevent irregular expenditure and fruitless and wasteful expenditure, which is at the heart of the ructions at the company. Procurement manager Percy

Sithole, general manager for re- gional airports Jabulani Kham- bule and legal counsel Bongani Machobane were suspended in September 2016. Their suspen- sions were due to expire on Feb- ruary 3. At an emergency board tele-

conference held on February 2, the board discussed extending the senior managers’ suspen- sions and continuing with the

disciplinary action. However, the fact that no ac-

tion had been taken against Maseko, although implicated in flouting Acsa’s supply chain rules, was raised as problematic because the senior managers had used this at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration to show that Acsa was inconsistent in applying its own rules. There was also concern that

Maseko’s presence would hinder a continuing internal forensic

investigation and deter witness- es from coming forward and giv- ing evidence. Acting board chairman

Roshan Morar said on Sunday that he would be able to provide comment only today. Company secretary Nosisa

Kekana, who had sent out the notice of the shareholder meet- ing on Friday, said she could not comment about the latest de-

velopment because she was at- tending to a personal matter. Lamola’s cellphone went

unanswered; Luthuli asked to be called later but did not pick up her phone; Moroka said he could not comment because there had been “insinuations” made in the past; and Mabude referred ques- tions to Acsa.

()ther board members also re- fused to comment. ()ne of them, Katie Matlou, said: “I am not ready to comment.” Matlodi Mabela, who is also on

the board, referred questions to Acsa. Department of Transport

spokesman Ishmael Mnisi said: “It is so unfortunate that the issue you are raising relating to the CE() does not even form the subject matter of the agenda [of the shareholder meeting]. It may be of interest to note that, in this meeting, the minister will con- sider the board evaluation per- formance report commissioned by the board itself.”

Acsa said it was unaware of any board meeting at which the CE()’s suspension had been dis- cussed and that Maseko had not received any notice of intent to suspend him. i TMG

GCIS Communication Centre: PRETORIA NEWS: February 14, 2017: pg 1

BER T F LL DRI Violence flares as meter taxi

trade decries ‘unfair’ App service

VIRGILATTE GWANGWA AND NTANDO MAKHUBU

HE Uber service must fall because it is unfair to other meter taxi operators.

This is according to provincial meter taxi operators, who are demanding that Uber be suspended until all issues raised in their memorandum to the Depart- ment of Transport have been ironed out.

Chaos, violence and bloodshed have marred relations between provincial meter taxi oper- ators and Uber. The tensions are threat- ening to get worse if concerns raised with government are not addressed.

As part of the national #Uber- MustFall cam- paign, cab oper- ators armed with various weapons assaulted others as they moved from Joburg to Pretoria last Wednesday to the department’s offices in Pretoria.

“We wanted others in the sector to join us, because our concerns are real and they affect all meter taxi oper- ations,” operator Nkosiyena Dlakama said yesterday

In the memo- randum, they asked that Uber be suspended until such time all issues had been resolved. Among the issues were the fares charged for trips

covering the same distance.

“Uber charges much less than us, because we operate as metered cabs and they as charter ser- vices. This means we charge per trip and they per per-

son,” said Dlakama, of Centurion. “The playing field is not level and while we welcome compe- tition, we will not accept the current scenario because it

is unfair.” The call to remove Uber or to

make sure it operated with the same permit as other operators has resounded across the country since the App cabs were introduced in 2013.

Uber operators have been

unwelcome in taxi ranks and areas such as the Gautrain stations,

where they mainly operate. Incidents of violence against and

by them have been reported, includ- ing hijackings, kidnappings and the alleged rape of passengers by Uber drivers. The charges against Uber drivers have been labelled smear campaigns to discredit and make them unpopular.

The march was marked by chaos as protesters, some allegedly armed

with knobkerries threatened their counterparts who refused to partici- pate. The windows and windscreens of some Uber cars were smashed in and the keys of others snatched by meter taxi operators.

Gauteng police spokesman Cap- tain Kay Makhu- bela said a case of malicious dam- age to property had been opened against meter taxi operators.

However, no arrests have been made yet.

“A case has been opened against a group of taxi drivers who broke the windows of Uber taxis and also flat- tened their tyres last week.

“We do not know the motive behind the war, but we will inves- tigate the matter.”

The meter taxi operators said what they wanted was simple and could easily be resolved. “Our request is simple; we just want the department to

stop the App oper- ators from work- ing until we have resolved the dif-

ferences between our people and Uber drivers,” secretary at the Gauteng Meter Taxi Council Hendrick Ndou said. The protest had nothing to do with competition;

they wanted things to be done in a legal manner, he said. “We are not afraid of competition as long as you compete with us legally We run our businesses in a legal way,” he said. The fact that Uber was introduced as a charter service which dealt

with organised transport and then later announced as meter taxis was unlawful, they said.

“It has been a while now that we have expected Uber to consult us and other relevant structures like the Meter Taxi Association in the region,

on how they will operate. But to our surprise we have not been contacted and there is no legal way they can operate like us without our input and knowledge,” Ndou explained.

That they operated like meter taxis was illegal and had to be fixed.

“Of course they can operate like we do, but they must fix their fare guide and get the right permits to do so,” the Centurion Meter Taxi Association said. Ndou denied any knowledge of the reported violence against Uber taxi drivers.

In their memorandum, oper-

ators also demanded the immediate removal of Uber and Tuk-Tuk cabs until all parties had resolved the mat- ters and reached an understanding.

The Gauteng Meter Taxi Associ- ation had given the department 14

days to respond to the demands. Ndou said the decision on the way

forward if there was no satisfactory response, would be in the hands of meter taxi operators. The department has yet to respond to questions on the situation.

GCIS Communication Centre: PRETORIA NEWS: February 14, 2017: pg 2

Scam costin cit millions

laid bare Rotten licensing staff fingered

RAPULA MOATSHE rapula.rnoatshe@inl.co.za

SCAM dubbed “dump- ing” - implicating at

least 105 officials in the licensing department -has cost the city mil-

lions in revenue. Executive mayor Solly Msi-

manga said the city uncovered the fraudulent activity masterminded by officials who assisted motorists blocked by the system to register their vehicles despite outstanding traffic fines.

He was addressing the media in Centurion yesterday, where he announced that the fraudulent activ- ities had been going on for years.

“There are fines that are sup- posed to be paid before people get their licences.

“What they do is they corrupt the system and register people, or create an avenue where that revenue is lost

and registered as an unrecoverable amount.”

To dodge the system, motorists would collude with officials to

register the vehicle in the name of a supposed new owner

Officials undertook to deregister the vehicle with fines linked to the original owner, and then register it under the next person’s name. That person was left or dumped with “penalties and arrears” .

Accounts would be backdated to allow officials to clear them before re-registering the vehicle in the name of the original owner, with no fines attached to him or her.

By so doing, the officials would have hidden licence penalties and arrears for some motorists.

Msimanga said the city had launched an anti-crime operation to crack down on the implicated city officials. Those implicated officials were under investigation and would soon face criminal charges.

Executive mayor Solly Msimanga, accompanied by MMC for infrastructure Darryl Moss, briefs the media in Centurion about the crackdown on the 105 officials implicated in corruption at the licensing department. PICFUREI OUPA |\/IOKOENA

Msimanga said the illegal prac- tice meant that the city was unable to recover some of the monies owed to it from a multitude of traffic

violations. “This means that the city is

unable to recoup some of the money owed to it.

“This further compounds its abil- ity to generate the revenue it needs to provide services to law-abiding

citizens entitled to services,” he said. The mayor had given an instruc-

tion that all city officials implicated in the collusion be suspended and dealt with swiftly

According to Msimanga, the move would see the city starting to recover some of the monies.

That would go a long way in gen- erating the much-needed revenue the council needed, he said.

“In doing so, we will also swiftly root out this corruption from our traffic sector,” Msimanga said.

The fraudulent transactions, if

not detected, made such debt irrecov- erable, he said.

At least 12 implicated officials had been suspended and were under- going disciplinary hearings.

“However, the identified number of culprits is just over 100. This

number may grow as we probe fur- ther into this practice that went on largely unchecked under the previ- ous ANC administration,” he said.

The city was working hand in hand with the Gauteng Depart- ment for Roads and Transport in its ongoing investigation to bring perpetrators to book and possibly recover the monies misappropriated and stolen.

GCIS Communication Centre SOWETAN: February 14, 2017: pg 3

Road safety drama a hit and miss with viewers - - the public’s understanding of their

1"()]e in reducing 1"()3d f3ta]jtje5_ NEW SABC1 drama series Ingozi “The series aims to raise public premiered to a mixed reaction awareness about road safety using from viewers on Sunday evening. a television drama to deliver the

The television show, an initia- message,” Peters said. tive by the Department of Trans- “lngozi seeks to rectify and pro- port, aims to alert South Africans vide the right amount and quality on the dangers of carelessness on road safety knowledge and infor- the road. mation, expecting that people will

At the exclusive launch at the come to the right way of thinking Destiny Exclusive Hotel in and do their part in reducing car- Kempton Park, Transport Min- nage on our roads.” ister Dipuo Peters said this was The show is produced by Word of part of the government’s

_

efforts to promote road Mouth productions which also pro- duces SABC2’s Muvhango.

safety and enhance Executive producer Duma Ndlovu said the story will in coming episodes feature graphic images of how accidents occur and their impact on people’s lives.

“We met with the minister a cou- ple of times a few years ago and

one thing kept striking me, she was single minded [and] obsessed about reducing the number of fatalities on the road She just said ‘Duma, I

want to see these numbers going down’ . We then gave her a story proposal for various platforms.” The show premiered to a mixture

of reactions from viewers on social media sites. “#Ing02i will not be able to compete for the Sunday evening television. After first episode, I have no clue where the story line is going,” said Vhasekwa.

@lVIyNameIsLaShort, said: “I per- sonally feel #IngoZi is more infomercial than a competitive pro- duction to wow viewers @offi- cialtvsa Not watching it again.” Other users felt there was hope. “Veterans mixed with fresh talent

#NewFaces great line-up,” said Nicolus Maphosa.

�

GCIS Communication Centre: SOWETAN February 14, 2017: pg 7

Rival taxi body

takes fight to

legislature

Mothusi Masemola NANCEFIELD Dube Taxi Associa- tion (Nanduwe) operators took their fight against rival Witwater- srand African Taxi Association (Wata) to the Gauteng legislature yesterday. The operators marched to draw

the provincial department of trans- port’s attention on continuing route disputes with the rival association.

In a December 2015 judgment, the South Gauteng High Court ruled in favour of Nanduwe over several routes under dispute between Soweto and Johannesburg. These include l\/[akhetha stores

and Kwal\/[thethwa (Mofolo), Dube Station, Uncle Tom’s Hall (Orlando West) and l\/[akhetha Garage (Phe- feni) to J eppe Station in town. Nanduwe’s attorney Sam Sekhu

said: “Why is it that the judgment in our favour has not been effected? It is a criminal offence [to ignore the judgment].”

Traffic was brought to a stand- still in some streets which the oper- ators blocked with their vehicles. Johannesburg Metro Police

Department spokeswoman Superin- tendent Edna l\/[amonyane said Sim- monds and Helen Joseph streets were blockaded with taxis during the protest. “The drivers parked their vehicles and started march- ing,” said Mamonyane, adding that traffic was affected. Gauteng l\/[EC for Roads and

Transport Ismail Vadi said they met with Nanduwe representatives and an agreement that both associations should operate as per their operating licenses and authority was reached. A report compiled by the Gaut-

eng Provincial Regulatory Entity (GPRE) on September 21, reflects that the “incorrect capturing of some routes of Nanduwe in the RAS system and the confusing route description of some routes allo- cated to Wata, that a Section 79 hearing be held so as to facilitate the amendment process” .

“It is going to be very imperative that the GPRE has the full coop- eration of both associations in its endeavours if this violent conflict is to be resolved and eliminated,” said the entity’s Edward Ngqola.

Said Vadi in a statement yester- day: “The department remains com- mitted to implementing the Section 79 hearing as per the court order.

“Attorneys for both associations gave an indication that they will oppose any attempt by the depart- ment to amend their client’s oper- ating licenses and that they will approach the courts of law to inter- dict the department from doing so.” Vadi urged taxi associations and

their leaders to cooperate with the department and law enforcement agencies as they try to resolve the issues between the two bodies.

GCIS Communication Centre: SOWETAN: February 14, 2017: pg 7

Traffic fines ‘dumping’ costing Tshwane millions Sipho Mabena THE City of Tshwane has uncov- ered massive corruption in its licensing department, with crooked officials costing the municipality millions in traffic fine revenues and arrears through alleged novel cor- rupt practice of “dumping”

.

According to mayor Solly l\/lsi- manga, motorists who could not be issued with their vehicle licences due to outstanding fines would

approach a licensing department official for a way out. Speaking to journalists in Preto-

ria yesterday, Msimanga explained that the official would then initiate a process of registering the vehicle in the name of a supposed new owner, business or estate. The registration would then be

backdated to fall under the unsus- pecting new owner’s name. The vehicle would then be registered back under the original owner’s

name, minus the fines. “What would normally then hap-

pen after this, the unsuspecting person, business or estate on whose name the fines have been dumped would then approach the licensing department to query the transac- tion. The officials would then say they did not know what happened and simply wipe off the fines. That is how the city has been losing on traffic fines and licensing rev- enues,” he said.

Msimanga said 105 officials fin- gered in the fraudulent practice, believed to be part of a syndicate operating across Gauteng, were from all the city’s licensing stations. He said internal disciplinary pro-

cesses have already been initiated against 12 of these officials.

“This number may grow as we probe further into this practice that went largely unchecked under the previous ANC administration,” he said. — TMG Digital

GCIS Communicanon Centre THE CITIZEN February 14 2017 pg 20

Jo ur , Ts wane in revo t TRAFFIC FINES: CITIES MAY PULL OUT OF THE NATIONAL AARTO SYSTEM

»»> After nearly a dec-

ade of failure, billions lost in revenue and repeated bungling, Joburg and Tshwane’s DA administrations have had enough and say they may pull out of Aarto.

Antoinette Slabbert

he DA-led administra- tions in Tshwane and Jo- hannesburg might with- draw from the national traffic fines pilot system

that has failed to take off after 10 years of bungling.

Tshwane mayor Solly Msi- manga’s announcement comes just weeks before national gov- ernment’s planned roll out of the

system nationwide.

I-‘ailed system Msimanga says the Administra- tive Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) project is still

plagued with problems and has cost the cities billions of rands in lost fine revenue.

Business has learnt a meeting of the national Aarto task team with representatives from all

provinces and local government is due to take place later this month in Bloemfontein, in preparation for the planned roll-out.

Such a roll-out would see the implementation of demerit points for road infringers, with repeat offenders risking the suspension or even cancellation of their driv- er’s licenses. The penalty points have not been implemented in the pilot projects.

In the past, the ANC-led coun- cils were not prepared to take a

stand on Aarto against national government, although the pilot

projects had impacted the munic-

ipalities’ income from fines and traffic law enforcement.

But this changed when officials from Tshwane and Johannesburg told parliament in November the system was not working. They asked for it to be suspended until the problems were addressed.

To this effect, the parliamenta- ry portfolio committee is dealing with proposed amendments to

the Aarto Act. The two cities’ annual reports

say the system has cost them hun- dreds of millions of rands in the year ended June 30, 2016.

Road users owe Tshwane R502 million, half of which has been outstanding for more than a year. Johannesburg has budg- eted for an income from fines of R1.2 billion, but collected only R294. million. The R718 million shortfall is blamed on the dys- functional Aarto system.

In 2015-16, the Johannesburg metro police issued 5.3 million Aarto infringement notices, and the Tshwane 1.1 million.

One of the problems is that le- gal challenges have confirmed all contested fines must be delivered by registered mail, but problems at the post office have not made this possible.

As a result, traffic law enforce- ment is rendered toothless and revenue is impacted.

Some road users elect to state their cases in court, but none were heard in Tshwane, while the 60 336 hearings in Johannesburg delivered only 724. guilty findings. At the end of the financial year, there were 4.9 628 cases pending.

Private risk The system also poses a risk for road users, especially fleet own- ers, says Cornelia van Niekerk, owner of Fines4.U, managing traf- fic fines and license renewals for more than 500 companies and 30 000 vehicles.

“If they have outstanding fines, they risk drivers being stopped on the road and unlawfully forced to pay on the spot,” she says.

GCIS Communication Centre: THE NEW AGE: February 14, 2017: pg 24

Controlled blasting

on road to be avoided LONDEKADLAl\/||N|

'l‘lll‘l South .\i'rican Xational Roads .\g'encv (Sanral) has urged motorists to

avoid using‘ the road connecting‘ l)utv\va

and l\lthatha as there will be controlled blasting on 'l‘l'1111's(lav at ll.3()an1 and l2.I'§()pn1.

The blast \vill take place approxi-

matelv I'}8.2l<1n i' rom l)utv\va \vhen travelling towards l\lthatha.

"'l‘he road closure \vill be kept as

short as possible. ho\vever motorists

can expect the road to be closed for about t\vo hours.” l\lbulelo Peterson. Sanral southern region manager. said.

l\lotorists travelling east to\vards

l\lthatha mav consider using either of the i'ollo\\'i1'1g two alternative routes bv exiting the N2 at l\ldabaka7.i on to the

R108 to\vards \gqa1'nak\ve- 'l‘ somo or via the R109 at l)utv\va to\vards Ngcobo.

lloth routes link to the R61 and then rejoin the N2 in l\lthatha. Simi- larlv. motorists travelling \vest\vards

to\vards lfiast llondon lnav consider

using the R61 \vhen leaving l\lthatha

and then link back to the N2 via either li*l()8 alter Ngcobo or li*l()9 towards 'l‘ somo.

'l‘he alternative route is 60km longer and may add ll) minutes to the trip between East London and l\lthatha.

"l\lotorists are asked to plan their trips accordingly. consider alternative

routes and to use caution.” Peterson

said.

Sanral apologises for anv inconven- ience caused.

p/"0r1' /ices (1it/ze/zcu‘ag‘c.mza

GCIS Communication Centre: THE NEW AGE: February 14, 2017: pg 3

Ra'l safet back‘ n potl' ht

JC van Loggerenberg’s death has reignited the concerns of trains being poorly maintained and an unreliable source of transportation

JUDITH DIAKANYO

Tl lli (le11th o1“11n 11- ‘\'e11r-ol(l|1o ‘\' . -l(7\'11n

Loggerenherg. who tell o11t of the open door of 11 tr11in. h11s p11t the spotlight

|111ck on r11il s11l' et\‘. .l(7' s 1“11rnil\' no\\‘ \\‘11nt to cre11te 11\\‘11re-

ness ol'the perils c1111se(l hy poor n111in-

ten11nce 11n(l \'11nd11lisn1 on tr11ins. The ho\"s n1other. 1\nneli7.e. s11i(l the

tr11in W11s the only option for her son

to get to school ~ the l' 11re is che11p 11n(l

she tho11ght the n1o(le of tr11nsport W11s

reli11|1le.

J(‘ 11n(l 11 1"rien(l. who We c11nnot i(:le1'1til' y l>ec1111se he is 11 n1inor. were on their W11\‘ to collect their reports in

e11rl\‘ l)ecen1|1er.

The friend s11i(l the tr11in W11s full 11n(l the (loors (li(l not close.

'l‘he\' ho11rded the tr11in 11t l.1iip1111r(ls-

\'lei st11tion on the \\' est lt11nd hut were sep11r11te(l in the e11rl\‘ n1orning r11sh.

\\'hen the 1“riend re11che(l \\'itpoortiie

st11tion. \\'l'1ere the boys were (l11e to ch11nge tr11ins. he co11l(l not see J(Y.

lle then 11ske(l 11ro11n(l 11n(l re11lise(l

th11t J(Y h11(l not 11rri\'ed 11t the st11tion.

The loo)‘ j11mpe(l o11t 11n(l r11n l>11ck

11long the tr11ck \\'l'1ere he 1"o11n(l the

cr11n1ple(l |1o(l\‘ of his lriend. still 11li\'e.

hut cle11rl\‘ injured.

A sec11rit\‘ g1111rd. 11ccor(ling to the

friend. interrog11te(l J (ls friend (len'111n( l-

ing to see 11 ticket.

1\nneli7.e W11s c11lle(l 11n(l W11s 11|1le to

11rri\'e in time to s11\' goo(lh\'e to her son. "\\'hen l got there he v\‘11s still hre11th-

This is not only because of the constitutional rights

at stake but because Prasa has imposed the duty to secure commuters on itself through its operating procedures

ing. hut \'e1j\‘h11r(l."Annelize s11i(l. 11(l(l-

ing th11t 11 n111n W11s on the phone trying to cont11ct p11r11n'1e(lics when she 11rri\'ed on the scene.

"J(Y stoppe(l hre11thing five n1in11tes he1“ore the 11rnh11l11nce got there 11n(l then

he W11s gone."

ll' y(>11\'isit the site t(>(l11y.y(111\\'ill see

11 sn111ll cross n111rking the sp11ce Where he (lie(l next to the r11il\\'11\‘ line.

Despite it being more th11n t\\'o

months since JC (lie(l. the l’11ssenger

lt11il 1\gency of South 1\l'ric11 (l’r11s11)

h11s not yet visited the l' 11n1il\‘ . l\lo|1o(lv

h11s con1e to ol'l' er con(lolences or any sort ol' 11ssist11nce.

l’r11s11 spokesperson l1illi11nl\lo1"okeng \\‘11s 11\\‘11re o1"11 (7onstit11tion11l (‘ourt _l1l(l§il'l'1Cl'1'[ th11t pl11ces tr11in n'111inten11nce

11n(l sec11rit\' o1“p11sse1'1gers firlnlv in the

h11n(ls ol'the pnhlic entity.

ln(lee(l. there is 11n 11nc11nny resen1-

|1l11nce hetween J(Y' s story 11n(l th11t of

l’retori11 resi(lent Irvine l\l11shong\\'11.

who lost his leg 11l' ter heing thrown o11t of 11 moving tr11in thro11gh 11n open door.

llis c11se Went to the (Yonstit11tion11l (7o1irt \\'l'1icl'11‘o111'1(l: "l\l11shong\\'11\\'o1il(l

not h11\'e s11st11ine(l the injuries th11t le(l

to the 11n1p11t11tion of his leg h11(l l’r11s11

kept the (loors close(l.

"l’r11s11' s 1‘11il11re to keep the doors close(l While the tr11in W11s in n1otion.

is the kind of con(l11ct th11t ought to

11ttr11ct li11|>ilit\' . This is not onl\'|>ec1111se ol'the constit11tion11l rights 11t st11ke hut

hec1111se l’r11s11 h11s in1pose(l the (lnty to

secure con1m11ters on itseh“thro11gh its

oper11ting proced11res."

1\(.111ick(}oogle se11rch will show th11t there h11\‘e been se\‘er11l simil11r inci-

dents in the p11st ye11r in which p11ssen-

gers h11\'e l' 11llen out ol' tr11ins with doors

i11n1n1ed or opened in tr11nsit. ln l“e|11'1111ry l11st ye11r. 11 two ye11r old

s11r\'i\'ed 11l' ter heing s11cke(l o11t when the doors of 11 tr11in tr11\‘elling 11t full

speed s11d(lenl\‘ opened.

ln 11nother incident. 11 n111n (lie(l 11l' ter l' 11lling l' ron1 11 _i11n1-p11cked tr11in in Sep-

tenlher l11st ye11r.

Jerenrv l\l11r11is. 32. l' ron1 Scottsville

in l\' 1'1111il' ontei1'1. \\'11s he11(ling to Work in l{etre11t in (‘ 11pe 'l‘ o\\‘n when he fell o1 it o1‘

11 n1o\'ing c11rri11ge hetween liikelontein 11n(l l3r11ckenl'ell st11tions.

l’r11s11 s11i(l the n111n lorce(l the doors

open.

l)espite11n1i1nl>ero1“co11rtch11llenges.

including the (7onstit11tion11l (7o1irt c11se.

l’r11s11' s spokesperson hl11n1ed con1n111t-

ers for \'11nd11lisn1 on the tr11ins. l\lo1“okeng 11gree(l th11t 11t times the

tr11ins were full hut s11i(l th11t the doors were opened (l11e to "p11ssenger heh11\'-

ionr".

"\\' e h11\'e seen 11(l11lts st11n(l in

hetween co11ches to 11 point Where they c111ise \'11n(l11lisn1." she s11id. 11dding th11t

when the st11te entity honght tr11ins. 11ll the doors were 1"11nctio1'1i1'1g 11n(l p11s- sengers lorce(l then1 open.

.\nnelize \\'11nts to cre11te 11\\'11re-

ness of p11ssenger s11l' et\‘ on tr11ins. in

p11rtic11l11r the s111"ety of chil(lren on tr11ins.

/zcltts'

11it/11’/zc1(‘agc.co.za

Licensing officials probed for fraud, corruption TNA REPORTER

.\ 'l‘()'l‘.\li 01° 12 'l‘sl'i\\'ai'ie licensing

otlicials are 1ll'1(‘lOl‘g()ll'1g disciplinary

hearings While niore than 1()() others

haye l)00l'1ll)1ll'1(l[() he in\'0l\'ed in l' i'and

and c0i'i'iipti0i'i. 'l‘sh\yane l'llit\’()l‘ Solly

l\lsinianga said §’0S[0l‘( lay.

The city in C()llill)()l‘iltl()l'1 \\'ith the

(laiiteiig (lepartinent 0l' i'0a(ls and trans-

port has 1ll'1C()\'0l‘0(l a niodns operandi

called diiinping" \‘\'l'l(‘l"(‘ llC(‘l'1Sll'1g‘()l'l'l(lillS

illegally hide yehicle licensing penalties

and ai‘i‘eai‘s which results in the city losing nioney owed to it hy l'll()[()l‘lS[S.

l\lsinianga said the l'11ll'lll)0l‘ 01“ impli-

cated otlicials could increase as the

pmhe continues. “ln l‘0i1l terms. this nieans that the

city 01° 'l‘sl'i\yai'ie is unable to i'ec<>yei'

some 01“ the monies owed to it l' i'(mi a

ninltitnde 0l' ti'al'l'ic \'l()li1Il()l'1S.

"'l‘his means that the city is nnahle to recoup some of the money owed to it. \\‘hich l' ni‘tl'iei‘ C(>l'I1})(>11l'1(lS its al>il-

ity to generate the revenue it needs to pi'0\'ide sei'\'ices [()li1\\'—i1l)l(lll'1g' citizens

who are entitled to sei"yices." l\lSll'l'lilI1flil said.

The inayor has issued an instruc- tion that all 0l'l'icials implicated in the

c(>llnsi0n he suspended and dealt with syyiltly.

'l‘his. he said. yyonld allow the city to

start i'ec0\'ei'ing the money owed to it. Last Week the city i1l'1l'1()1ll'1CO(l that

it was in a pi'ecai‘i0ns situation \‘\'l'10l‘0

finances were conceined. “l)iii‘ing our election canipaign. We

said that c0i'i‘iipti0i'i will not he toler-

ated. and We reinain resoliite in this pi'<>niise. \\' e \\‘ill root out l' i'an<l and c0i'i‘iipti0i'i in all [l'10ll‘ nianil' estati(ans."

l\lsinianga said.

1\CC()l‘(lll'1g to the city. dumping as it's known happens when the i"egisti"ati0n nl a yehicle legally owned hy a person. hiisi- ness 01' estate is ti'ansacti(mally nioyed

to another person and this results in penalties and i1l‘l‘0i1l‘S dnniped on this })Ol‘S(>l'1 \yhich niakes theni "liahle 1°01‘

licensing" .

Residents haye heen urged to report

any suspected l' i'and and c0i'i‘iipti0i'i to

the city. ~ 701178

GCIS Communication Centre: THE NEW AGE: February 14, 2017: pg 6

C|i9 0|] |ll'0 ilIC9'S road Two homeless people are among the five people who lost their lives at the weekend

NADINE FORD-KRITZINGER

T\\'() homeless people were among the five people that lost their lives at the Weekend on the province' s roads. The five people died in four separate

incidents. Tvvo drivers and a pedestrian \vere killed on Fri(lav on the l\1 lleaufort \\' est. N1 -loistenl>urg \'lal<te and on the N1 Lower (Yhurch Street While the t\vo homeless people were killed in an accident on Saturday \vhen a \voman lost control of her car on the N1 l)ur-

han Road. Provincial tralfic cl'1ie1“l\' ennv .\fi‘ica. vesterdav said: "A }.)l‘0lll'1lll'1i1l‘§’

report from \\' estern (Tape provincial

trafi'ic services indicates that five road

users died on the province' s roads at

the Weekend. "\\' e Want the puhlic to assist us to

create safer roads. The 1“e\ver incidents

on our roads. the more quicldv our response agencies can attend to emer-

gencies. \\' e cant ensure road sa1“ety

alone. all of us have a role to plav."

(lperations hv provincial trafi'ic ofi'i-

cials to create safer roads resulted in the

arrests o1“22 people o1“\vhich the major-

itv were for driving under the infiuence of alcohol.

“l’rovincial tralfic olficers arrested 18

motorists for driving under the influence of alcohol on Fridav and Saturdav.

"F(>1i1'\\'e1'e arrested in the Somerset

\\' est service area. four in S\vellen( lam.

three in \\' orcester. t\vo in Brackem"ell.

t\vo in (Yaledon. one in George. one in

l\lossel Bav and one in ()udtshoorn. "Breath testing \vas per1"ormed on

2091 drivers at 26 alcohol hlitz road- hloclts across the province \vith the

highest hreath alcohol reading \vas

recorded in the S\vellendam service area

at 1.I'§91'11g of alcohol 1()()()ml o1“hreath

which is more than five times the legal limit o1“().2'l1'ng 1()()()1'nl." .\fi'ica said.

"Four other people \vere arrested which included. one 1“or1"alse documen- tation in \' 1'ede1'1hurg. one for excessive

speeding in \\' orcester. one 1“orfi'aud in \\' orcester and the other for overloading

in \' redendal." he said.

The operations also savv a total of I58 speeding ofi' ences recorded with fines issued totalling more than R3 ()()()().

"Fines in the amount of l 665()

\vere issued for a variety of reasons.

l‘i1l'1gll'1g1Ul‘()l'1l driver ofi' ences to vehicle

fitness violations. "The highest speeds recorded in

each trafi'ic service area were 1(i(ikn1 h

in a 12()km h zone in the l3rackem"ell

service area. lllkm h in a 100 km h

zone in the l3eau1“ort \\' est service area

and 1()Sl<m h in an S()l<1n h zone in the \' redendal service area." .\fi'ica

said.

���������

/zarli/zefa tr/1 c/zclragc. co. za

GCIS Communication Centre: THE NEW AGE: February 14, 2017: pg 6

C0nC0urt dismisses Sanral bid S1\l\ll{1\l, will ahide hy the (Tonstit11-

tional (To111"t_i11dg1'nent on the \\'inelands

N1 N2 toll p1"o_ieet. the roads agency said at the weekend.

(in Friday. the (Tonstit11tional (To11rt

dismissed Sanrals hid to haye pre\'io11s

indgnients hy the \\' estern (Tape lligh

(Tonrt and the S11p1"e1'ne(To11rt o1Ԥ\ppeal

set aside.

'lThe two eo11rts r11led Sanrals plans in the \\'inelands and (Tape 'lT own were inyalid.

'lThe (Ton(To11rt' s ruling now means that Sanral will haye to start a p11hlie

participation process it it wants to go

ahead with its plans to toll sections oi“

the N1 and N2 in the \\' estern (Tape. Sanral spol<espe1'son \'

11si l\lona

said: "()yer the past two months the roads ageiiey has eonsistently stated

it is en1harl<i1'1g on a new eons11ltati\'e approaeh with releyant stakeholders to

find eoninion §_>'ro11nd on el'111lle1'1ges that relate to road ini' rastr11et11re.

"As reai'l'irn1ed hy o11r new (Tl§(). we will eontin11e to ei'1gage the eity oi'(Tape 'lT own to find a sol11tion to the growing congestion erisis in the \\'inelands area.

l)ise11ssions with the eity haye already started."

Sanral was not only piirsiiing‘ e11g11g‘e-

nients with the \\' estern (Tape and eity oi“ (Tape 'lT own |>11t with other n111niei-

palities in (}1111tei1g. l\' waZ11l11-l\T atal. and Free State to "unlock eeononiie growth potential and cont1'il)11te to regional de\'elopn1ent" .

'lThis was the new perspeetiye within the roads agency wliieli its recently

appointed (Tl‘](). Skliiinihiizo l\laeozo1na.

sought to ingrai1'1.

"()11r (Tonstit11tion req11ires oi“ 11s. as

with dii'l' erent spheres oi“ goyernnient.

to work together in orderto deliyer ser- yiees to citizens." l\lona said. ~ S.\l,3(T

GCIS Communication Centre: THE NEW AGE: February 14, 2017: pg 7

Road crash prompts safe priori A three—vehic|e head-on collision leaves a trail of death and destruction and a lot of unanswered questions

SlBONGlSENl l\/lAPHUl\/lULO

Tlllfi transport. community safety

and liaison l\ll§(Y. l\l.\olisi l\' aunda. has

called for a thorough investigation into

the head-on collision off the N2 near l\landeni. Which claimed the liyes of fiye people including a 12-year-old child.

The horrific accident also left a female

passenger in a critical condition. needing

to he resuscitated and stahilised hefore she could he transported to hospital.

'l‘he collision occurred about 2am on Sum lay. close to l3ridg'e 16. approacl'1ing' l)url1an. l’reliminary reports indicate

that three yehicles. including a Sli\' . a

hakkie and a lig'l'1t motor yehicle collided. killing fiye people on the scene While four others were seriously injured and taken to Stanger llospital.

IPSS l\ledical llescue spokesperson Paul llerhst said the critically injured

female passenger had to he resuscitated. "(in arriyal at the hospital the criti-

cally injured patient Went into cardiac arrest. llesuscitation was started by the paramedics and the Stanger llos-

pital doctors and Within minutes she regained a normal heart rhythm. She remains in a critical condition." he said.

'l‘he critically injured passenger was in the Sll\‘ when the collision happened.

ll(‘l"l)Sl said when paramedics arriyed on the scene they found three occupants

of the Sli\' as Well as the driyer and a 12-year-old child in the light motor yehicle had already succumhed to their critical injuries.

"l haye asked the department' s road trafl‘ic inspectorate and the police to conduct a tl'1orougl'1 inyestigation into

the circumstances that led to this hor-

ror crash." l\' aun( la said. 'l‘he accident

comesjust a few days after the depart-

ment tahled a report on the outcome of the festiye season road safety campaign. 'l‘he report said l\' \yaZulu-l\latal regis-

tered an 18" “ increase in road crashes and fatalities in 2016 and remained on top [l'1l‘()1lgl'1()1lI nine proyinces despite

the department' s efforts. l\' aun( la said that the high statistics

were a cause for concern and called for radical action among all those charged with the responsil>ility of road safety

and the people of l§\yaZulu-Xatal in general hecause road safety was a col- lectiye responsilwility. "As the proyince

of l§Zl\l. We haye declared zero toler- ance on offences such as drinking and <lri\‘ing. speeding and 11nroad\y<>rthy yehicles. ()f major concern is that $l()" <» of

road crashes occur as a result of human error. \\' e must mohilise all sectors of society hy creating national conscious-

ness on road safety." l\' aunda said.

llead of department Sil1usiso(}uml1i and l§\yal)ul<uza' s mayor. Ricardo l\ltheml)u. are expected to yisit the grieving families and those hospital- ised during this Week to estal1lish\\'l'1at assistance the government can provide tothe familiesduringthisdifhcult time.

sf /Jr)/zgi so/11' /n I1 T/zc/zc1t‘ag'c. cu. za

GCIS Communication Centre: THE NEW AGE: February 14, 2017 pg 10

RAFvBHs North West communities

ELFAS TORERAI

Tlllfi Road .\ccident l'und' s (l1.\l"s) mohile ol'l'ice. l\lohill1\l<‘ . is on a three-

dav visit to communities in the province.

The visit is meant to service car crash victims and it runs from today. until Fridav.

The l\lol>il{;\l“ is a t' acilitv used lrv the lt.\l<‘ to reach communities Where the organisation does not have ol'l'ices.

The lL\l“' s l’retoria regional man- ager. l)ineo Thahede. said at the heart

of this extensive communitv outreach is service (l0ll\‘0l')' . taking the lL\l“'s

products and services to the doorsteps otthe people who need them most. The l\lohil{1\l“ will visit Sch\vei7.er-

lleinelte. (‘hristiana. l3loeml'1o1" . and \\'olmaranssta<l.

'l‘hal)ede said the l1.\l“-l)1'ande<*l-

vehicle has the capahilitv of consulting

with at least T0 to 80 customers at anv given time.

She said devoted lt.\l<‘ personnel will

assist car crash victims with the direct

registering of ne\v claims. consolida-

tion of required compliance documents.

general claims queries and reporting of alleged cases of misconduct against

unscrupulous personal injurv attornevs.

including touts who defraud unsuspect- ing claimants.

"'l‘his l\lol>ilL\l“ is an extension ot the lt.\l<“ s el'l' orts to increase its acces-

sihilitv to car crash victims in the areas

that tall under our mandate. providing them with more opportunities to claim directlv from the lt.\l<‘

. (Ylaimants are

requested to hring their ll) documents to enquire ahout their claims.

"People claiming tor the first time are

required to have case numl>ers. acci-

dent reports. vehicle registrations and contact numhers of all parties involved in the motor vehicle accident." Thahede said.

'l‘he l\lohill.\l<‘ is at the Puhlic \\' orl<s

llall in Sch\veizer-lleinelte today. lt

moves to (Yhristiana Taxi Rank tomor- ro\v and to l3loen'1l'1o1"on 'l‘l'1ursdav hetore

rounding ol'l' in \\'olmaranssta(l on Fri-

dav.

All meetings run from 8am to lpm. North \\' est-hased residents are also

encouraged to visit anv otthe t'ollo\ving

eight places to claim directlv: JS Tahane llospital (lhistenhurg). Brits llospital

(Brits). l\loses l\'otane llospital (l{usten-

hurg). 'l‘shepong l lospital (lilerksdorp). l\lafil<eng llospital (l\lafil<eng). l’otch-

et'stroom llospital (l’<)tchetstroom).

Zeerust llospital (Zeerust) and Joe l\lorolong llospital (\rvhurg).

clsr I1 T/zc/zclcagc. co. za

GCIS Communication Centre: THE STAR: February 14, 2017: pg 2

Taxi turf war protest gridlocks

J oburg CBD MASEGO PANYANE mase-go.panyane@in|.co.za

IN A BID to get the attention of Gauteng Roads and Transport MEC Ismail Vadi, the Nancefield Dube West Taxi Association (Nanduwe) left the streets of central Joburg in chaos as they stopped traffic for several hours yesterday

The members of the taxi asso- ciation peacefully blocked off parts of Simmonds Street, Bree Street, Jeppe Street and Main Street to get the department to intervene in a turf war that has been going on since 2014.

Nanduwe and the Witwaters- rand Taxi Association (Wata) are embroiled in a battle for stra- tegic taxi routes, such as Central Western Jabavu, Dube West and Orlando East, all in Soweto.

The disagreement is based on Nanduwe’s argument that they are licensed to operate in the areas, but Wata has also over the past two years (forcefully,

according to insiders) operated in these areas, despite not being

‘Passengers’ lives are in danger if this continues’

licensed to do so. This battle culminated in the

fatal shooting of one of Nandu- we’s taxi owners and the severe injury of two others in Central Western J abavu on Friday

Cases of murder, attempted murder and and malicious dam- age to property have been opened.

Nanduwe’s secretary, Cyril Mpungose,s aid they wanted MEC Vadi to take responsibility

and implement a court order stating that they are the rightful operators of that route.

“The court order clearly states that the routes belong to Nanduwe, and we are the ones that have operat- ing licences for that route, so we wanted the MEC to tell us when he’s going to ensure that the court order is adhered to,” Mpungose said.

He added that they were satis- fied with the outcome of the meeting with the department’s representatives because they had made an undertaking to meet with both parties. He also said the department had assured them that there would be increased

police presence at hotspots. Mpungose added that for

them this was more than just a disagreement about routes, as it was also about passengers’ safety “Their lives are in danger if this situation continues. It has been two years since we started complaining about this issue and nothing is being done,” he said.

Vadi’s office said in a state- ment that the MEC strongly con- demned the association’s actions

yesterday as they were involved in a legal process to resolve the matter.

“MEC Ismail Vadi has repeated his call that lawlessness in the taxi industry will not be tol- erated under any circumstances, and called on both associations to allow the due processes to

unfold,” it read. However, both associations

responded by stating that they would oppose any attempt to have

their route licences amended. The department said they had invited both unions to submit their heads of argument for consideration before the licence terms were amended. Both unions had not submitted these by December 13 last year.

“The department met with Nanduwe representatives this

afternoon (Monday) where an agreement was reached that both associations should operate as

per their operating licences and authority,” it read.

Police spokesperson Kay Mak- hubele said that while he could confirm that cases had been opened, no one had been arrested.

Mpungose said that while the issue was being addressed, they would continue providing a reli- able service for commuters.

Various attempts to reach Wata for comment on the turf dispute were unsuccessful.

GCIS Communlcanon Centre THE TIMES February 14 2017 pg 4

Massive licence fraud in Tshwane SIPHO MABENA

THE City of Tshwane has uncovered massive corr- uption in its licensing department, where crooked officials are costing the municipality millions in traffic fine revenues and arrears with a scam called “dumping”

.

Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga told media yesterday motorists who could not get vehicle licences because of out- standing fines, would approach licensing department officials to bypass the ban. An official would then

initiate a process of registering the vehicle in the name of a supposed new owner, business or estate.

The registration would be backdated to fall under the unsuspecting new owner’s name — along with the fines. Then the vehicle would be re-registered under the original owner’s name — minus the fines.

“The unsuspecting person, business or estate, on whose name the fines had been dumped, would then approach the licen- sing department to query the transaction. Officials

would claim ignorance and simply wipe off the fines. So the city loses out on traffic fine and licen- sing revenues,” said Msimanga. Those implicated in the

scheme were believed to be part of a Gauteng-wide syndicate and operated from all the city’s licensing stations, he said.

Internal disciplinary procedures had already been initiated against 12 of the alleged perpetrators.

“This number may grow as we delve further into a practice that went largely unchecked under the ANC administration,” he said.

GCIS Communication Centre: THE WITNESS: February 14, 2017: pg 3

MAN INJURED IN TOW CABLE ACCIDENT A 30-YEAR-OLD man was seriously injured yes- terday morning when the towing cable on his recovery vehicle snapped while he was driving on Bhece Road in the Westgate area.

ER24 paramedics who attended the scene found that a flat-bed recovery vehicle was parked on the side of the road while a light motor vehicle was parked on the opposite side. The recovery driver was found lying a few feet away from his vehicle.

Paramedics assessed the man and found that he had sustained a serious injury to his leg. The man was immediately treated at the scene and transported to a nearby hospital for further treatment.

It is believed that the recovery vehicle had been using a tow cable to load a vehicle when a light motor vehicle crashed into the cable, said ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring.

He added that paramedics assessed three women who had been in the light motor vehicle and found that they were unhurt.

Local authorities will be investigating further, he said. — Witness Reporter.

GCIS Communication Centre: THE HERALD: February 14, 2017: pg 1

Fire brought under control

after container vessel

docks in Port Gareth Wilson and Riaan Marais v\/ilsong@timesmedia.co.za

HAOS erupted when a 280m container ship transporting hazardous material, including paint and gas, was forced to

dock in Port Elizabeth after a fire broke out on board. The alarm was raised when the

cargo vessel, the APL Austria, made a distress call for assistance to the Maritime Rescue Coordination Cen- tre shortly before 9pm on Sunday. The burning ship anchored in

Algoa Bay five hours later and, by 11am yesterday, it had been escort- ed into the Port of Ngqura, where firefighters boarded it.

Shortly before it anchored in Al- goa Bay, the National Sea Rescue In- stitute (NSRI) and Transnet tug-

boats responded to the call for as- sistance, which led to the evacua- tion of four non-essential person- nel, one of whom was slightly in- jured, from the ship. At 8.30 last night, the fire was

under control. Municipal firefighters are assist-

ing with the operations. Before the docking yesterday,

of Ngqura smoke could be seen billowing from the ship as three Transnet tugboats sprayed water on the vessel.

Municipal spokesman Mthubanzi Mniki, commenting on behalf of the Bay’s fire department, confirmed late last night that metro firefighters were still on board. He said although the blaze had

been brought under control, the fire-fighting team would stay on the ship overnight.

Mniki said some of the containers were being off-loaded while others were being moved out of the danger zone. Two municipal rescue pumps,

one Transnet rescue pump vehicle, a foam tanker, hazardous material unit, a breathing apparatus trailer and a mobile operations unit had been deployed to help combat the fire, he said.

Officials confirmed that hazard- ous material such as paint, refrig- eration gas and various other types of chemical cargo was on the ship. The fire broke out while the ves-

sel was about 30 nautical miles southwest of Cape St Francis, trav- elling towards Cape Town. The ship is registered in Liberia

and owned by APL, an international container shipping provider that transports an assortment of cargo. SA Maritime Safety Authority

(Samsa) technical adviser Captain Daron Burgess, who was on the ship yesterday, said: “Initially it was thought that the fire was in the num- ber three cargo hold, but it was later confirmed that it was actually in number four.

“The vessel was instructed to proceed to Algoa Bay anchorage and she arrived at about 2am [yes- terday] ,” he said.

Burgess, together with Transnet officials and two firefighters, board- ed the ship at about 4am.

At 5am, the APL Austria was

ordered to move further out to sea inside the bay to clear the way for other vessels that needed to anchor.

Shortly after news of the fire

broke, a Joint Operations Centre (JOC) consisting of the Nelson Man- dela Bay Emergency Medical Serv- ices, the fire department, Transnet

and Samsa was established at the Port of Ngqura.

Of the 21 crew members, four were evacuated, with the others staying on board to fight the blaze.

Air force helicopters were also placed on standby. Burgess confirmed that several

containers containing hazardous cargo were on deck but had not been affected by the fire. He said the cause of the fire was

being investigated. By 11am, the ship had been es-

corted to the Port of Ngqura by three Transnet tugs and the NSRI.

Bay Emergency Medical Services manager Brenhan Metune con- firmed that one person was slightly hurt during the incident.

“One crew member injured his leg and was evacuated during the early hours and taken to a Port Elizabeth hospital,” he said.

GCIS Communication Centre: THE MERCURY February 14 2017 pg 3

Meter taxis demand suspension of Uber THE Uber service must fall because it is unfair to other meter taxi operators.

This is according to prov- incial meter taxi operators, who are demanding that Uber be suspended until all issues raised in their memorandum to the Department of Trans- port have been ironed out.

Chaos, violence and blood- shed have marred relations between provincial meter taxi operators and Uber The ten- sions are threatening to get worse if concerns raised with government are not addressed.

As part of the national #UberMustFall campaign, cab operators armed with weapons assaulted others as they moved from Joburg last Wednesday to the department’s offices in Pretoria.

“We wanted others in the sector to join us, because our concerns are real and they af- fect all meter taxi operations,” operator Nkosiyena Dlakama said yesterday

Among the issues were the fares charged for trips over the same distance. “Uber charges much less than us, because we operate as meter cabs and they as charter services. This means we charge per trip and they per person,” said Dlaka- ma, of Centurion. “The play- ing field is not level and while we welcome competition, we will not accept the current scenario because it is unfair”

The call to remove Uber or to make sure it operated with the same permit as other oper- ators has resounded across the country since the app cabs were introduced in 2013.

Incidents of violence against and by them have been reported, including hijackings and kidnappings. - Mercury Correspondent

GCIS Communication Centre: THE MERCURY: February 14, 2017: pg 5

Cape Town airport tops best of the best in Africa THE Guide to Sleeping in Airports, a reputable Canadian travel and hospitality company, has voted two South African international airports as among the top five in Africa.

Its survey was conducted last year, but the results were only recently released.

Cape Town International Air- port swept the category as the con- tinent’s top airport.

“When reviewing the best air- ports in Africa, Cape Town Inter- national Airport is a long-standing fan favourite.

“Travellers are consistently happy with the terminals’ cleanli- ness and simplicity - and they’re pleased with the helpful and friendly staff,” stated the travel guide.

“Amenities such as four hours of free wi-fi, a few pay-to-use lounges, a small budget-friendly grocery store and a library are other welcome additions not often seen in termin- als across the continent.”

However, OR Tambo Inter-

national in Johannesburg, was not far behind, coming in at fourth. But the reasons for the airport’s dropping place in popularity were also outlined.

“OR Tambo airport appears to have lost a few points in the hearts of travellers this year. People still praise it for being clean, easy to navigate and full of good shopping and dining options,” said the Can- adian website.

“However, as one of Africa’s largest travel hubs, the long immi- gration queues and maintenance

issues seem to be wearing on those who travel through.

“That said, Joburg’s airport does go above and beyond in the amen- ity department. Here, you can find luggage storage, a supermarket, a dry cleaner, a barber, several pay- per-use lounges, and a ton of res- taurants!”

In their survey the travel guide asked travellers to rate the Afri- can airports based on their overall experience.

The following factors were taken into consideration: comfort (rest zones and gate seating); services, facilities and things to do; food options; immigration/security; customer service; and cleanliness.

“The Best Airports in Africa are those that appear to have fig- ured out how to offer travellers an efficient, clean and friendly travel experience.

“Though you won’t find a pleth- ora of extravagant amenities here, you can expect these terminals will offer reasonably comfortable chairs, clean floors and easy navigation.

“Coupled with basic services like internet, restaurants, lounges and a few shopping spots, it becomes easy enough to spend your time at these airports.

Pipping OR Tambo was Kigali International in Rwanda, which came in third.

“Kigali International Airport’s 2014 facelift continues to serve trav- ellers well, boosting its continental ranking from last year.”

At number five was Algiers International. - ANA.

GCIS Communication Centre: THE MERCURY: February 14, 2017: pg 5

Drone operators must train or risk claims llanit Chernick

RECREATIONAL drone operators have been advised that they must be trained or they could risk liability claims.

As drones have fast become a com- mon phenomenon, not only as tools in commercial fields but as a hobby, South Africa’s regulations on drone operation have had significant licens- ing cost implications for businesses. Consumers may also be at the highest risk for financial loss.

This is according to Johannes du Plessis, legal adviser at Risk Benefit Solutions insurance brokers, who explained that insuring commercial drone operators against liability ties is easier than providing cover for pri- vate operators.

“The legal regulations formulated by the South African Civil Aviation Authority require a pilot operating drones for reward to be trained by a flight school if the flight will reach

certain heights and distances. The training is important here, since the drone pilot officially learns the legal restrictions of flying the drone, needs to display competence in operating the equipment, and is required to pass a health examination,” Du Ples- sis said.

As a result of such training, insur- ing against the loss of a commercial drone under a drone insurance policy, and insuring a pilot against any liabil- ity for damages or injury under such policy, is relatively simple, since most of the risk management controls are already in place.

“The result is also that the num- ber of incidents among trained drone operators is lower than that of untrained drone operators,” he said.

However, many insurers are only prepared to offer limited cover to rec- reational drone users. “These policies do not cover loss or damage while the drone is in use, and pilot liability is also excluded.”

GCIS Communication Centre: DAILY SUN: February 14, 2017: pg 4

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